Padel: The Japanese-Spanish brace easy defeated Indians Sharmada Balu and Prerana Prathap 6-1, 6-2. (X/@ZoomTV)
For Japanese padel subordinate Kotomi Ozawa, the operation “delivering nether pressure” holds a deeper significance. The 26-year-old, who is partnering concern adept Elisabeth Nogueras Lorenz, faced comparatively small unit during the women’s semifinals of the FIP Promotion India Padel Open held astatine Bennett University successful Noida connected Saturday. They easy defeated Indians Sharmada Balu and Prerana Prathap 6-1, 6-2. They volition look Spaniards Ainize Santamaria Landa and Aitana Solan Domenech for the women’s rubric connected Sunday.
Before Ozawa dedicated herself to padel afloat clip 5 years ago, she worked arsenic an obstetric adjutant astatine Keio University Hospital successful Tokyo. “It’s not lone astir facilitating birth. We attraction for some babies and mothers during and aft pregnancy. I can’t adjacent number however galore radical I person assisted,” she says with a beaming smile.
Like galore padel players, Ozawa has a inheritance successful tennis. Padel, which is simply a premix of squash and tennis, is played connected a overmuch smaller tribunal and does not impact the magnitude of carnal rigour required successful tennis, making it fashionable astatine nine level.
When Ozawa transitioned from tennis to padel, she had to set her crippled and unlearn definite aspects of tennis. “Because of musculus memory, you person to unlearn and past larn again. Initially, it was difficult. I had to accommodate to the corners and the walls, which took time,” she explains.
In summation to method adjustments, Ozawa noted that the athletics requires a alteration successful tactical approach. “The tribunal is smaller than successful tennis, truthful we are person to each other. This allows america to pass effectively, whether we’re playing with beginners oregon professionals, which I enjoy. It’s not conscionable astir the archetypal ball; we request to dilatory down and strategise connected however to beforehand to the net, focusing much connected offence than defence,” Ozawa elaborates.
Her Spanish partner, Lorenz, besides played amateur tennis earlier switching to padel successful 2014. With a grade successful concern medication and economics, she traded her firm concern occupation for her passionateness for the sport. “I near my concern job. It was a antithetic life, but this is better,” Lorenz shares.
*Results: Semifinals (Centre Court)
*Women’s:**
– Ainize Santamaria Landa & Aitana Solan Domenech (Spain) defeated Tulsi Mehta (India) & Banafsheh Moradi Shahpar (Iran) 6-0, 6-0.
– Kotomi Ozawa (Japan) & Elisabeth Nogueras Lorenz (Spain) defeated Sharmada Balu & Prerana Prathap (India): 6-1, 6-2.
*Men’s:
– Pol Alsina & Edu Altimires Ros (Spain) defeated Arya Roghani (Iran) & Hami Golestan (Sweden) 6-4, 6-1
– Arthur Hugounenq & Thomas Seux (France) defeated Chaitanya Shah & Vikram Shah (India) 6-0, 6-2